Computer data exists in different states at different times: data in transit (information flowing through a network); data in use (active data that is being accessed and manipulated by a computer program); and data-at-rest, known as DAR, or data that is physically housed in a storage device like a solid-state drive. Many cybersecurity solutions focus on securing data in transit and data in use, but neglect securing DAR.
The battlefield is filled with people, drones, and other systems gathering reams of critical data. Unlike in the commercial environment, there isn’t a big, sprawling data center with lots of fans to keep the equipment cool while providing multiple layers of security to protect this data from falling into the wrong hands. This situation creates challenges that many companies are hard at work trying to solve.